In this Mobile Moment series we will be sharing a variety of topics, tips and ideas to help you maximize your best real estate tool—your mobile phone.

Text Etiquette for Reaching Your Past, Current & Prospective Clients

1. Identify Yourself: While it may be common for you, as a real estate professional, to save every single person you meet as a contact in your phone, it’s safe to assume not every person you’ve met or worked with will do the same with your contact information. (We know, who wouldn’t want to save your number and profile photo!) So, when you’re reaching out to a client (past, current or prospective) for the first time in a while it’s important to identify yourself. Trust us, you’ll get a better response and it makes it more comfortable for the client in case they don’t have you already saved as a contact.

2. Be Clear and Concise: Texting was invented to create a communications medium for short messages which require a quick reply. And, while that has evolved over time and many people use texting as a primary means of electronic communication it’s still important to remember to keep your messages on point. If it gets lengthy, send an email or pick up the phone.

3. No Slang ’Round Here: Know your audience and what they might think is (or isn’t) appropriate. Best rule of thumb for people with whom you aren’t personal friends with is, “If you wouldn’t say it to your grandmother then you probably shouldn’t say it to a client.” Conservative? Maybe. But better to be safe than sorry when it comes to making sure you’re communicating appropriately in a real estate business setting.

4. Target Your Audience: We all hate SPAM, right? Well, keeping that in mind when you send promotional information will go a long way for helping your success rates. Try tailoring your promotional text messages based on how you have your CRM database organized. If you have a list of clients who like waterfront properties, then try sending information about maintenance tips for waterfront homes to that specific group. Likewise, if you’ve identified a group of prospective and past clients who all have school-aged children try sending a message about an upcoming family-friendly event in your local area. Keeping your messages relevant when possible will teach people to read (and respond) to your text messages.

5. Stay Timely: If you got something great to share, don’t wait! Time is of the essence when it comes to effective text message marketing. Whether you’re sharing a hot listing or notifying a seller about an interested buyer, texting is a great option for communicating your message in a timely fashion.